Nowhere Hero
by isansa
Summary: Disjointed Ironman ficlets. These are all based in the movieverse and involve Tony/OC.
1. Pepper Has Left the Building

**AN:** I started writing these about two years ago, so the characters may be a little off. There once was a chaptered story planned, but it was a bust. This is all that remains.

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><p>It had all started with a look. Squinted eyes, pursed lips, crossed arms, fill stature. Checklist complete. Angry woman on deck- prepare for fire.<p>

"Tony." There is was in all its glorious denouncing tone.

"_Tony._" Her voice turned from hostile to upset.

"You look nice, Pepper. Got plans?"

The young red haired woman folded her hands before her, blue eyes staring ahead at the man in front of her, "_We_ have plans, Tony."

Tony Stark, man of legend, went about his business of tinkering with the iron suit which made him such a legend, "We did? Huh."

Pepper Potts huffed and said in a loaded tone, "It's our first anniversary, Tony." She tossed a wrapped item on his metal workbench and turned her way toward the stairs, and up she went without another word. A grease smudged Tony stopped his working to look between the gift and Pepper's ascending behind.

"Damn."

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><p>Tony found Pepper in the upstairs bedroom, pulling bits of glitz and glamour from their shared closet and tossing them into an oversized rolling bag. She went on in an livid blur ad Tony appeared in the door, "What are you doing?"<p>

"I'm leaving, Tony."

"You're leaving?" An amused smile crossed Tony's face, "Why would you do that?"

Pepper crossed the room once more to the closet for one last dress, "Because, I can't do this, Tony."

"I never make you do anything. Except, you know, that one thing." He mused.

Pepper stopped at the edge of the bed to press the folds of pajamas and points of shoes down before closing the top and zipping it shut, "I care about you, Tony. I really do- but, all we are anymore is a mashedup name. I love you, but I want to _love_ you."

"Is this about sex? We had a great time the other night. We can get freaky right now, if you want."

Pepper set her bag on the carpet and rolled it over to stand in front of Tony, "That was two months ago, Tony, and that isn't all I need." She pushed passed him and dragged her bag down the stairs to the foyer._ "_You spend all of your free time worrying over the company or working on that suit. You're a workaholic who doesn't take the time to unwind, and I can't be with someone who isn't going to acknowledge me."

He jogged after her as she passed through the front door and headed to a town car waiting in the driveway, "I acknowledge you. You've yelled at me several times in the middle of the night."

Pepper's eyes narrowed and her face grew stiff as if to say, _precisely_. "I need more, Tony."

Tony crossed his arms and mumbled as she slid into the back seat of the car, "And _I'm_ self-centered."

"Yes, Tony. _You_ are self-centered!"


	2. Part Two

Tony was sure Pepper would be back in a day or two after she had blown off steam- give or take the traffic. And it really wasn't until the third day that Tony Stark began to wonder where his girlfriend was. So, Tony called her on her cell phone.

"Pepper, pick up." He urged. On the fourth ring a crackled sounded and he could hear her breath, "Pepper, good, you're there!"

"_Tony-_"

"Don't hang up!" Tony jumped to his feet, unsure of what to say.

"_I'm not_." She spoke coolly.

Tony stopped his pacing, "You're not?"

"_No, Tony._" Pepper sounded happy and Tony took this as a good sign.

"Well, when are you coming home?"

"_I'm not._" Oops.

"You're not?"

"_No, Tony. I'm sending someone over to pick up my things. I'll be out of town, so they'll be staying with you for as long as it takes. I've got to go, Tony._"

And she hung up. Tony clicked the phone off and threw it across the room where it hit the white wall beside the television, smashing into several pieces. She was sending a stranger to his home, the man who had no secret identity. Great.

Pepper Potts wasn't coming back home. Amazing.

Tony Stark was alone, again.

_Spectacular_.


	3. Vanity Fair

She pulled her slender dresses from the plastic zippered bag and placed them in color order on the cedar closet racks. A mirror on the inside of the door alerted her to the man leaning squarely in the bedroom's entryway.

"Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Stark?" The tone of her voice was airy and playful as she went about her work.

Tony grinned, swiping away any doubt he'd had on his face, "Just enjoying the view, _Miss_ Plath."

Marty Plath smiled to herself and closed the closet door, "I'm not another Vanity Fair, Mr. Stark. Your personal and business endeavors do not interest me. I'm here to pack up for Virginia and to help put things in order for your new assistant. Nothing more."

The blonde woman turned back to her suitcase on the end of the bed to unpack the rest of her things. Tony watched her with his arms crossed, "I didn't expect a pretty blonde on my doorstep. More like an ugly male cousin."

Marty carried a stack of lingerie to the white dresser and filled in the top drawer, knowing full well Tony's eyes lingered. "I know what you're expecting, Mr. Stark. I'm not it."


End file.
